Automotive drivetrain having deflection compensation

ABSTRACT

A deflection compensation system for automobile drivetrain components is provided, wherein a shaft is able to continue in driving relationship to another shaft or coupler in driven relationship when their respective axes of rotation are misaligned. At least one of the shaft and the coupler is preferably supported independently of the other and provided with crown involute splines, whereby one of the shaft and coupler when out of relative alignment, continues to drive the other without the necessity of adding additional moving parts to the drivetrain component.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/575,344, filed May 28, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention involves the drivetrain of an automobile whichcompensates for movement and misalignment between driving and drivencomponents thereof. Drivetrain components such as clutches, gearboxes ortransmissions, and axle drive units are provided with deflectioncompensation which enables the axis of an input shaft or gear to beangled relative to the axis of the driven shaft or gearing nominallyaligned with the input shaft without transmitting substantial deflectionloading. The deflection compensation is preferably provided by employingcrown involute splines on one of the driving and driven member andmounting the driving and/or driven component so that the centerline ofrotation is determined independently of the other component, mostpreferably by substituting parts without adding additional moving partsto a conventional drivetrain component.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Automotive drivetrain systems typically involve a prime mover such as amotor (which may be of a variety of types, such as a combustion engine,electric or pneumatically powered motor), and may include in variousapplications a clutch, a gearbox or transmission such as an automatictransmission having a fluid coupling, and a driveshaft and an axle driveunit. Such drivetrain components typically include an input, such as ashaft or gear, and an output, for example a shaft or gear, whereby therotating speeds of the input shaft and the output shaft may be variedbetween a direct drive relationship and one or several relativelydifferent speeds through gear reduction. Power generated by the motor isoperatively transmitted to the gearbox or transmission, and clutches orflywheels may be located intermediate the motor and the gearbox as iswell known in the art. In many automotive applications, the gearbox isconnected to the driveshaft which in turn rotatably drives adifferential or other axle drive unit for transmitting the power to theaxles and wheels of the automobile. Such drivetrains are often ofsubstantial length, such as 2-3 meters. In addition, in manyapplications the motor and gearbox are of significant mass, and thoughthe motor, gearbox and differential are connected to a frame, such as anautomobile chassis or body, relative movement between these componentsoccurs during operation. In addition, the motor, clutch, gearbox ortransmission, and/or axle drive unit and axles may not be installed inprecision alignment.

As a result of initial alignment variations, movement during operation,and other factors, the inputs and outputs, such as shafts, couplings,gears or other driving and driven members of the drivetrain, may besubjected to different lateral loading where their respective rotationalaxes are not in linear alignment. This may occur between the engine andclutch, the engine and transmission, the clutch and the gearbox ortransmission, or between the axle and the axle drive unit even where theinput shaft and output shaft are each journalled by bearings designedfor maintaining alignment of the input shaft and output shaft. Twoprincipal consequences of not having the input shaft and output shaft intheir designed colinear alignment are typically experienced: one isexcessive wear on one of the input and output shaft and their connectinggears and bearings; the other is a loss of power and efficiency in thepower transmission. The loss of power and efficiency results from thenecessity of a shaft to bend during rotation when its axis of rotationmoves or is installed out of alignment. In order for the shaft to turn,some bending must occur, and this bending of high strength steel shafts,even when the bending is visually imperceptable, consumes energy andthere is a loss of power delivered from the prime mover to the wheels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention largely overcomes these problems and providessignificant advantages over the prior art. That is to say, thedrivetrain components of the present invention may be operativelycoupled together in restricted spaces without loss of power or requiringadditional energy expenditure to overcome energy losses incurred inbending shafts or the like to overcome misalignment of the axis ofrotation of two interconnected drivetrain components. Unlike the use ofuniversal joints typically employed to transmit rotational forcesbetween a gearbox and a driveshaft, for example, the drivetraincomponents of the present invention may operate in restricted areas, andpermit limited translation as well as variation between the angles ofrotation of the driven components. Furthermore, in the presentinvention, the driving and driven components can be locatedindependently, without the driving and driven members connected in sucha way that bending of a shaft is a necessary consequence of rotationalcoupling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automobile with the body and chassiscomponents removed for clarity to show the drivetrain including theengine, gearbox, axle drive unit and wheels;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a clutch assembly of an automobile andthe input shaft of the gearbox;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the clutch assembly of FIG. 2with the clutch actuation lever, throwout bearing and some of the gearsof the gearbox removed, showing the input shaft of the gearbox alignedfor insertion through the input gear of the gearbox for insertion intothe internal teeth of the clutch disc;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view of the input shaftand gearbox to show the axes of rotation of the input shaft and clutchand a bearing for supporting and positioning the input shaft relative tothe clutch assembly;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view showing the inputshaft connected to the input gear of the gearbox;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5,showing the input shaft axis of rotation angled relative to the axis ofrotation of the gearbox main shaft;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the use of crown involutesplines on the shafts of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view of an axle driveassembly in accordance with the present invention wherein the axle isprovided with deflection compensation to permit deflection relative tothe bevel gear and crown gear of the axle drive.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, an automobile 10 broadly includes adrivetrain 12. The drivetrain 12 includes an engine 14, a gearbox 16, adriveshaft 18, an axle drive unit 20, and wheels 22 which are driven tomove the automobile 10. While a manual gearbox utilizing a manual shiftlever for selecting the desired gear during operation is illustrated inthe drawings, as used herein, the term gearbox is intended to includeboth manually actuated gearboxes as well as automatic transmissions suchas those employing fluid couplings and torque converters as are wellknown to those skilled in the art. The engine 14 as used herein mayinclude not only internal combustion or external combustion engines, butalso electric or other motors which function as the prime mover for theautomobile 10.

A primary shaft, such as the crankshaft 24 of an internal combustionengine 14, is typically bolted to a flywheel 26, shown for example inFIGS. 2 and 4, on the side of the flywheel 24 opposite the gearbox 16.FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate a clutch assembly 27 in accordance with thepresent invention and utilized to operatively couple and decouple thecrankshaft 24 from the gearbox 16. A clutch friction disc 28, shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, is positioned adjacent the flywheel 26. A clutch pressureplate 30 is bolted to the flywheel 26 on the opposite side of thecrankshaft 24 and includes spring portions 32 which flex and normallybias ring 34 against the friction disc 28 to hold the friction discagainst the flywheel 26. When the clutch pedal is depressed to move theclutch lever 36, the throw-out bearing 38 moves against the springportions 32 which in turn releases the ring 34 from biasing engagementwith the friction disc 28 and thereby permits the flywheel 26 to rotatewithout corresponding driving of the friction disc 28.

The friction disc 28 of the present invention includes a novel clutchdisc hub 40 which includes a central passage 42 having internal splines44 at its rear end and an enlarged annular recess 46 at its forward endoriented toward the crankshaft 24. The central passage 42 receivestherein a pilot stub 48 which is complementally sized for receipt in apocket 50 at the rear end of the crankshaft 24 and also to be receivedwithin an annular pilot bearing 52 received in the annular recess 46 ofthe clutch disc hub 40. An input shaft 54 of the gearbox 16 is receivedin the rear end of the passage 42 of the clutch disc hub 40, and isprovided with forward external splines 56, to be described in greaterdetail hereinafter, which intercalate with the internal splines 44 ofthe clutch disc hub 40 in driven engagement. The input shaft includes arounded, slightly domed front surface 58 which facilitates the abilityof the input shaft 54 to rock and tilt relative to the pilot stub 48.

Thus, in contrast to conventional input shafts which have a pilotmachined as a part thereof for locating the input shaft on thecrankshaft, the provision of a separate pilot stub 48 permits the inputshaft 54 of the present invention to be located by the forward externalsplines 56 and the clutch disc hub 40. The clutch disc hub 40 may beheld to the surrounding portions of the friction disc 28 by welding,rivets, or in any other conventional manner, or could be provided withexternal splines whereby the hub 40 is a separate component from theremainder of the friction disc 28.

The benefit if locating input shaft 54 on the clutch disc hub 40 ratherthan the crankshaft 24 is realized in the provision of forward externalsplines 56 in accordance with the present invention. The forwardexternal splines 56 hereof are involute cut splines which help toself-locate the splines 56 with respect to the internal splines 44, andalso are crowned as shown in FIG. 7 as crown involute splines 60, sothat with respect to the length L of the splines, the radially outeredge center portion 62 has both a greater height and a greater thicknessthan either the radially outer edge first end 64 or radially outer edgesecond end 66 of the splines 56. Further, the splines 56 are cut havinga root 68 at the base of the splines which is also crowned, such thatthe center portion 70 of the root 68 is farther from the axis B than ateither one end 72 or other end 74 of the root 68. By cutting the splines56 as crown involute splines 60, the input shaft is able to rock or tiltwith respect to the clutch disc hub 40. That is to say, the clutch dischub 40 is located by the crankshaft 24. The clutch disc hub 40 may haveits axis of rotation A slightly offset relative to the axis of rotationY of the crankshaft 24 without consuming significant energy because thepilot stub merely locates, and does not drive the clutch disc hub. Whileideally, axes A and Y will be coincident, as shown in FIG. 4, in factthere will likely always be some variation or offset. On the other hand,the provision of crown involute splines 60 as forward external splines56 and the fact that the pilot stub 48 is separate from the input shaftmeans that the input shaft 54 need not locate from the crankshaft at itsforward end but rather is located by the clutch disc hub 40. This isinherently a shorter dimension, and further, because the splines 56 areat the forward end of the input shaft 54 and are able to rock or tilt,the axis of rotation B of the input shaft need not be coincident withthe axis of rotation A to avoid bending the shaft 54. The crown involutesplines of the forward external splines 56 transmit rotational force(roll) without transmitting pitch or yaw on the other two orthogonalaxes, and may permit deflections up to about 1° of deflection betweenthe two axes without noticable loss of power transmission. The axis ifrotation B may be offset, or intersect with either or both of the axesof rotation A and Y, without substantial wear or loss of transmittedpower due to the necessity of bending the input shaft 54. Moreover, theinput shaft 54 is free to translate to a limited degree relative to theclutch disc hub 40 and thus the crankshaft 24 to further allow formovement of the drivetrain components or initial misalignment.

The internal splines 44 have a root and a spline edge including one end,another end, and a longitudinal length extending therebetween, with amiddle portion intermediate the ends. The middle portion of the root andthe spline edge may be cut whereby they are farther from the axis ofrotation A of the clutch disc hub 40 than at either of the ends. Itshould be understood that in regard to the foregoing, the presentinvention contemplates that the internal splines 44 could be crowninvolute splines while the forward external splines 56 could be straightsplines and still achieve the deflection compensation benefit. Whilethis would be considered substantially equivalent in reversing which ofthe two components has the crown involute splines, machining of theforward external splines 56 as crown involute splines 60 is an easiermachining operation than crowning the internal splines.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the deflection compensation feature of thepresent invention in an automotive gearbox 16. The gearbox 16 may be aconventional manual gearbox or a gearbox having reduced energyconsumption as shown, for example, in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,703 and mypending patent application Ser. No. 10/262,350, the disclosures of whichare incorporated herein by reference, or with an automatic transmission,for example of the type having a fluid coupling and torque converter.The input shaft 54 leads rearwardly from the clutch assembly 27 to thegearbox 16, a portion of which is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The inputshaft 54 includes a rounded, slightly convex or domed rear surface 76for compensating for misalignment or permitting rocking or tilting ofthe input shaft 54 relative to the main shaft 78 of the gearbox 16. Therear end 80 of the input shaft 54 is provided with rear external splines82 which are also cut as crown involute splines 60 as shown in FIG. 7and as described above. The rear external splines 82 are located withinand drive an input gear 84. As illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 6, theinput gear 84 may be provided with a forward collar portion 86 having asmooth outer bearing surface 88 and internal input gear splines 90, anda rear driving portion 92 including radially outwardly projectingdriving teeth 94 and rearwardly extending driving dogs 96 and a smoothinternal bearing surface 98 for receiving therein bearing 100. While theinternal input gear splines 90 may be cut as crown volute splines 60, itis generally an easier machining operation to cut external splines ascrown involute splines than to cut internal splines as crown involutesplines. Thus, if the rear external splines 82 are provided as crowninvolute splines 60, internal input gear splines 90 may be cut asstraight splines. The input gear 84 is located by bearings 102 and 104shown as having ball bearings and raceways, and held by snap ring 106 sothat they remain between the input gear 84 and a case bearing 108. Thecase bearing 108 is, in turn, bolted (bolts not shown in the figures forclarity) through aligned openings in the case bearing to the housing 110of the gearbox 16. A slider 112 having internal splines 114 may beselectively moved forwardly along radially outwardly extending splines116 of the main shaft 78 whereby recesses 118 in the slider may receivedriving dogs 96. Thus, in a forward position, the driving dogs 96 of theinput gear 84 drive the slider 112 which because of the engagementbetween the splines 114 and 116 in turn causes the main shaft 78 to bedriven in direct drive relationship to the input shaft 54.Alternatively, when the slider 112 is moved to a rearward position, theinput gear 84 drives a countershaft, which then drives the change speedgear 120. Engagement of dogs on the change speed gear 120 andcorresponding recesses on the slider then cause the slider 112 to drivethe main shaft 78 corresponding to the rotational speed of the changespeed gear 120 because of the interengagement of the splines 114 and116.

While preferably the input shaft 54, the input gear 84 and the mainshaft 78 are all in perfect axial alignment and remain there duringoperation, as a practical matter this is not the case. For a variety ofreasons, including the weight of the components, unevenness of the roadsurface, high speed turns, and difficulties in obtaining precisionalignment during installation, the input gear 84, the main shaft 78 andthe input shaft will not initially nor thereafter during operation enjoycoincident axes of rotation. Rather, the axes will be parallel butoffset, or intersect, or both offset and non-parallel. In the presentinvention, the input shaft 54 is, as described above, free to shift andmay be offset with respect to the clutch assembly 27 and the crankshaft24 without noticeable loss of efficiency normally caused when gears bindor the shaft bends. Similarly, the input shaft 54 is not bound by thehousing of the gearbox 16. Because of a variety of factors including thecrown involute splines 60 of the rear external splines 82, the convexrear surface 76, and the fact that the main shaft 78 and the input shaft54 are both located by the input gear 84 but the input shaft 54 is freeto shift longitudinally and tilt or rock relative to the input gear 84,the input shaft 54 is permitted to be mounted and positionedindependently of the gearbox 16 so that initial misalignments orrelative movement of the engine, clutch assembly and gearbox does notresult in appreciable efficiency losses.

The present invention also provides for deflection compensation of thedrivetrain 12 in the axle drive unit 20 of the automobile 10. It may beappreciated that various configurations of drive units are employed forfront engine-front wheel drive automobiles, rear engine-rear wheel driveautomobiles, mid-engine rear wheel drive automobiles, and four wheeldrive automobiles or more. Moreover the axle drive unit 20 may variouslybe of solid drive, differential, limited slip differential or otherarrangements. The present invention may be employed with any of thesearrangements, where an axle is used to drive the wheels 22 of theautomobile 10. Typically, however, the present invention would not beneeded where the axles and the axle drive unit are of the independentsuspension type, where the axles are coupled to the axle drive unit byuniversal joints to permit a wide range of motion.

FIGS. 1 and 8 illustrate a front engine, rear wheel drive arrangement ofthe axle drive unit 20 having axles 122 and 124 received in respectiveaxle housings 126 and 128. As illustrated, the axles 122 and 124 are infact half-axles, each driving one of the wheels 22. The axle drive unit20 as illustrated is of a differential type whereby the driveshaft 18drives a bevel pinion (not shown) which in turn rotatably drives a pairof opposed crown wheels, one of which is shown as crown wheel 130. Thecrown wheels are fixedly coupled to a box 132 which includes pinionshaft 134 which rotates therewith, in turn rotating differential pinions136 which drive bevel wheels 138. In the present invention, each of thebevel wheels 138 is provided with internal splines 140 for rotatablydriving the axles 122 and 124. The axles 122 and 124 are in turnprovided with complemental drive unit splines 142 for coupling withinternal splines 140 of the drive bevel wheels 138. The drive unitsplines 142 are external splines. One of the drive unit splines 142 andthe internal splines 140 are made as crown involute splines 60 as shownin FIG. 7, preferably the drive unit splines 142. As a result, the axles122 and 124 are not required to bend when the axles 122 and 124 areinstalled in offset relationship such that their respective axes ofrotation R are offset relative to the axis of rotation Z of the bevelwheels 138 as shown in FIG. 8. Moreover, the splines 140 and 142 do notbind when the axles 122 and 124 are initially installed or move out ofaxial alignment with the bevel wheels 138 because one of the splines 140and 142 are crown involute splines, allowing limited movementtherebetween both axially and angularly.

The present invention presents distinct advantages in regard to theability to locate the driven components independently, thus permittingrelative movement and angular relationships. Thus, the input shaft canbe located independently of the mainshaft of the gearbox, as well as thecrankshaft and flywheel, and it is not necessary that the input shaftremain in alignment nor held against axial movement relative to themainshaft. Further, the present invention provides deflectioncompensation for relative differences in axial alignment of the clutchassembly, the main shaft, and the input shaft. Further, the axles andaxle drive unit may have their respective axes offset relative to oneanother to thereby reduce or minimize energy losses which wouldotherwise result when the axles were required to bend, or excessive wearin the splines.

Although preferred forms of the invention have been described above, itis to be recognized that such disclosure is by way of illustration only,and should not be utilized in a limiting sense in interpreting the scopeof the present invention. Obvious modifications to the exemplaryembodiments, as hereinabove set forth, could be readily made by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the presentinvention.

The inventor hereby states his intent to rely on the Doctrine ofEquivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of hisinvention as pertains to any apparatus not materially departing from butoutside the literal scope of the invention as set out in the followingclaims.

1. In an automobile having a drivetrain, the drivetrain including anengine, at least one shaft operatively coupled to the engine and havinga first axis of rotation, and a member having a second axis of rotationrotatably coupled with said shaft, the improvement comprising: aplurality of splines on said shaft, said splines having a first end, asecond end and a center portion longitudinally intermediate said firstand said second end; a plurality of splines on said member intercalatedwith the splines on said shaft in driven relationship, said splines onsaid member having one end and another end and a middle portionlongitudinally intermediate said one end and the another end, wherebysaid splines on said shaft are external splines and said splines on saidmember are internal splines, and wherein at least said external splinesor said internal splines are cut with a crowned involute configuration.2. An automobile as set forth in claim 1, wherein said shaft is an inputshaft for a gearbox and said member is a clutch disc hub.
 3. Anautomobile as set forth in claim 1, wherein said shaft is an input shaftfor a gearbox and said member is a gear for the gearbox.
 4. Anautomobile as set forth in claim 1, wherein said shaft is an axle andsaid member is a bevel wheel of a differential.
 5. A gearbox includingan input shaft having a first axis, an output shaft having a secondaxis, and at least one gear operatively driven by the input shaft andaxially shiftable for movement between a first position directlycoupling the input shaft to the output shaft in direct driverelationship and a second position wherein the input shaft is coupled tothe output shaft in indirect driving relationship, wherein theimprovement comprises a plurality of radially outwardly directed splineson the input shaft and a plurality of internal teeth on said gearcomplementally configured with said splines whereby said input shaft maytranslate forwardly and rearwardly relative to said gear and said firstaxis may deflect at an angle of at least about 1 degree relative to saidsecond axis while said input shaft remains coupled to said input gear.6. In combination: an input shaft having a first axis; an output shafthaving a second axis; and a coupler for operatively connecting saidoutput shaft to said input shaft in substantial axial alignment anddirect drive relationship, wherein said input shaft includes a pluralityof radially and axially extending splines and said coupler includes aplurality of teeth complementally configured with said splines forrotational driving engagement therewith, at least one of said splinesand said teeth being configured for maintaining rotational drivingengagement without substantial transmission of deflection loading whensaid first axis is angled relative to said second axis.
 7. A gearboxcomprising: a gearbox housing; an input shaft having a first axis and aplurality of radially extending splines, said input shaft at leastpartially received in the gearbox case; an output shaft having a secondaxis substantially axially aligned with said input shaft, said outputshaft at least partially received in the gearbox case; an input gearrotatably driven by said input shaft and having an radially outwardlyoriented bearing surface and a plurality of radially outwardlyprojecting gear teeth, and a plurality of radially inwardly projectinggear teeth complementally configured with said splines; a slider forselectively operatively coupling and decoupling said input shaft indirect drive relationship to said output shaft through said input gear;and an input gear bearing mounted on said case and positioned betweensaid case and said input gear for carrying and locating said input gearwithin said case, said input gear being supported and locatedindependently of said input shaft whereby said input shaft is permittedto axially translate relative to the input gear and the first axis ispermitted to deflect relative to said second axis.
 8. A drivetrain foran automobile comprising: a motor; a gearbox; and a driveshaft, whereinthe gearbox includes an input shaft having a first axis and operativelyconnected to the motor in driven relationship, an output shaft having asecond axis and operatively coupled to the input shaft in drivenrelationship, and an input gear driven by input shaft, the input shaftincluding a plurality of radially outwardly directed axially extendingsplines and the input gear including a plurality of radially inwardlydirected teeth, wherein at least one of said plurality of teeth and saidplurality of splines are configured with faces having an involute shapeextending in a plane substantially normal to said first axis and havingan convex shape extending along the face in a direction substantiallyparallel to said first axis.
 9. In an automotive drivetrain, theimprovement comprising: a rotatable crankshaft; a clutch hub drivable bysaid crankshaft; a pilot stub projecting from one end of said hub into apocket in said crankshaft; and a gearbox input shaft separate from saidpilot stub and projecting from an opposite end of said hub, said hubbeing drivingly coupled with said gearbox input shaft for rotating theinput shaft when the hub is rotated by said crankshaft.
 10. In anautomotive drivetrain as claimed in claim 9, said hub and said inputshaft being drivingly coupled to one another using crown involutesplines whereby to permit limited tilting of the input shaft relative tothe pilot stub.
 11. In an automotive drivetrain as claimed in claim 10,said crown involute splines comprising internal splines on said inputshaft, said hub having straight internal splines intercalated with theexternal splines on the input shaft.
 12. In an automotive drivetrain asclaimed in claim 11, said input shaft having a domed end surface inabutting engagement with one end of said pilot stub.
 13. In anautomotive drivetrain as claimed in claim 12, said one end of the hubhaving an annular bearing that rotatably receives said pilot stub. 14.In an automotive drivetrain as claimed in claim 9, said one end of thehub having an annular bearing that rotatably receives said pilot stub.15. In an automotive drivetrain as claimed in claim 9, said input shafthaving a domed end surface in abutting engagement with one end of saidpilot stub.